In the latest German Connections we start with the game that had the German FA stepping in at the last moment, there is our only trip behind the Iron Curtain to East Germany. We discover the importance of bringing your golf clubs as well as a host of non competitive games with German opponents and some early player movement between the countries.

The game with Rot-Weiss Essen in November 1954 found the German FA stepping in a few days before the match to insist it be delayed twenty four hours. The papers telling us ‘An instruction from the German Football Association has forced Tottenham Hotspur to postpone their floodlight game with Essen Rot-Weiss at White Hart Lane from next Monday 1 to the following evening the Tuesday. The switch was necessary when the German FA insisted their club have at least 48 hours after their customary Sunday game.’ Spurs would win 4-2, Ramsey and Brooks (below) scoring two each.

Our only competitive trip to East Germany was with Locomotive Leipzig in the semi final of the 1973/4 UEFA cup, having defeated the West’s Cologne in the previous round. More than seventy thousand attended the first leg. The Germans who had already put out Ipswich and Wolves were surprised when Spurs went on the attack and grabbed two goals. Mike England came forward and his ball went to Peters who fired home after quarter of an hour. A few minutes later Ray Evans looking for Chivers over hit the ball which came back off the woodwork and Ralph Coates smashed home. Chivers then hit the woodwork. Leipzig got one back on the hour but Spurs brought a vital lead home.

Two weeks later and the second leg saw Spurs approach the game by allowing the Germans to come on to them. The counter attack nearly worked as Chivers had several chances before Leipzig nearly brought the tie level with a one on one but Jennings won the ball. The tie looked safe when just before the hour McGrath headed home. Chivers made it certain a few moments later when Perryman set him free. 2-0 on the night and Spurs were back in a European final.

Top - Chivers V Leipzig at WHL.

We met Vfb Stuttgart twice in 1957, the first game was in the August when we traveled there and drew 2-2, Bobby Smith scoring twice. Stuttgart then visited us in November and a 3-2 win saw Smith, Robb and Dyden netting for Tottenham.

We would tour the country in the seventies. In 75 we started against our old friends Rot-Weiss Essen and drew 1-1 (Cliff Jones). Next was Karlsruher and a Joe Kinnear penalty wasn’t enough as we lost 1-2.Hanvover was next and Jones again in a 1-1 draw before we crossed into Holland for the last game of the trip.

The following summer having already visited Australia, Fiji and Canada at the end of the season we again found ourselves in Germany in July. Osnabruck was the first stop and a 3-1 win Jones with 2 and Armstrong. We then lost our games in Frankfurt and Cologne before we finished with victories over KSV Baunatal and Bad Honnef.

Some early exports and Eddie Birnie, he scored once in his five games during his year with Spurs left us in 1911 to become player manager of Mulheim. Going the other way Jim Townley (1) had played for Hamburg before coming to the UK and joining Spurs in 1925. Another link is Irish international Charlie O’Hagan, he won five caps in his time at Spurs and scored 25 times in 51 games. He left us in 1906 and later coached in Germany. John Cameron one of our greatest managers was coaching in that country when war broke out and he became a prisoner of war, (2).

On a lighter note the instructions to the England payers for the game with German at WHL in 1935 includes this interesting notes on ‘what time they are expected to arrive in London at Enfield Chase station, before heading together to the Theobalds Park Hotel in Waltham Cross from Kings Cross station. All players were also requested to bring their golf clubs for a game post matchday.’

On Planet Spurs we try and find some of the stories that might otherwise escape. On this trip we look at how close Spurs came to being involved in a disaster. There is the story of the team that when they played at WHL brought their own band and just what happens in between games.

Tottenham were nearly involved in a disaster that could have left hundreds dead. Due to play at Stoke City in a FA Cup replay on 7th January 1976 just eight hours later when a large section of their Butler Street stand collapsed. This was mostly a wooden structure and fell onto an area containing over eleven hundred seats which would have been occupied mostly by children. Most of the damage had occupied the previous Friday in a storm. The club had called in the police, the council and the insurers and they agreed it would be safe after a few repairs. Then just after midday with the work under way the roof gave way and one man was injured.

The game was postponed with many Spurs fans already on route and police were sent to the various motorway stations to try and warm them. Stoke played some of their games at nearby Port Vale and had to replace much of the roof. The first game at WHL had ended 1-1 and the replay was finally played on the 24th when we went down 1-2.The Stoke chairman warned of the dangers of these old wooden structures, this was five years after the Bradford City fire and thirteen before the Hillsborough disaster.

In brief …

The Tottenham team would be attending the pantomime “Bo-Peep” at the Barnet Palace Theater on the 8th January 1905 ‘Lovers of football we trust will be present in large numbers to give them a hearty reception.”

How about this for a way to travel to the Lane! When the Middlesex Regiment played at WHL, they were marched from their barracks to the ground, with accompanying band, to see their side play. News reports from the game state that amongst the several thousand in Khaki there was a ‘good sprinkling’ of civilians. They played Tottenham Thursday who we have mentioned before having played a number of games at the ground from 1899 into the early 1900’s. The side was made up of local tradesmen who played on their half-day. At that time there was an abundant of “Thursdays” in London, including Walthamstow, Clapton, Fulham, and the ‘local friendly rivalry’ with Edmonton Thursday. This game ‘played by kind permission of the Tottenham Hotspur Directors’ was in March 1915 and was ‘a fine game’ (Thursday won 4-2), as they prepared for the LFA Midweek Cup Final the following week. I can’t tell just how long Thursday who date back well before Spurs were formed played regularly at WHL, I would expect it was a short lived arrangement and by the middle part of the next decade they were playing at a number of other venues. They do seem to have returned to WHL for some of their ‘big’ or ‘charity’ games. The Middlesex Regiment that day featured one of our former players C. Beedell in their side.Return visits saw them at The Lane against Tuffnell Park (April 1911) in aid of the Hospital Fund and October the following year they met Metropolitan Police X Division. How good were Thursday? Who were often referred to as the ‘Tottonians.’ Well it seems in 1911 we signed one of their players, E. Bowering (a vastly experienced half back) and if you’re wondering, they won their cup final in a replay beating West Ham Tramway with a goal in the last two minutes.

One of the great keepers with Tottenham over the years, with great positional sense and wonderful reactions, he remained composed under pressure. He would often come from his line and catch the ball one handed.

Born in Newry he played Gaelic football and worked as a tree feller before turning to Football.

He moved from his local club to Watford whose manager was Tottenham legend Ron Burgess. A year later he moved on to Tottenham aged 19 having already won two international caps.He took a while to settle but was first choice as we entered the FA Cup winning season of 1967. He would also win the League Cup twice and the UEFA Cup with Spurs and was also in our side that finished runners up side in that competition.

Pat won both the Football writers (73) and PFA Players of the year (76) awards and was awarded an MBE. He was also featured on the TV programme ‘This is Your Life’. He suffered an injury in 1976 and by the time he recovered manager Keith Burkenshaw made the biggest mistake of his time in charge and allowed him to leave, even if he was then 32 and Pat joined to Arsenal.

At that point he had won 66 caps and would go on to total 119, at that time a world record. He would spend eight years with the Gunners he nearly retired in 1985 but returned to Spurs to keep himself fit for the following years World Cup.

He had previously played in the 1982 competition. His last cap came against Brazil on his 41st birthday. He made just one more first team appearance in the Screen Sport Cup competition.

He also played for a combined Ireland side against Brazil, the Rest of the UK V Wales on the coronation of Prince of Wales, and the Six V the Three when Britain entered the Common Market.

Pat even managed to score in the 1967 Charity Shield against Manchester United when he drop kicked the ball from his own area and it bounced over his opposite number in that 3-3 draw. He played a total of 673 games for Spurs and over a thousand first class games. In 1975 he passed Ted Ditchburn’s record for appearances for a goalkeeper for Spurs. Despite two years earlier saving penalties in a game at Liverpool he said they were not his best saves in the match.

Pat is a member of the THFC and National Hall of Fames and one of the suites at the old WHL stadium was named after him. Despite his ‘red’ connections he remains loved at Tottenham which he always considered his home. Pat a keen golfer when asked what was his handicapped would reply the clubs.

The next set of art works depicting Tottenham over the ages and this time we start in the now before traveling back more than a hundred years to sample the works of professional and enthusiast alike. As we embrace both the conventional and the more 'modern' styles of saluting the club.

Right - Our Dutch master Edgar Davids.

Below Left - This is from the First World War and shows Spurs meeting Arsenal January 1918 and Spurs won 4-1 and 'possibly' this appeared in the News of The World.

Right - Even earlier and this shows action from the 1901 Cup Final and Spurs defending V Sheffield United.

Below another from the pen of Tom Webster who we have featured during this series, however the details of this cartoon elude me. Fanny Walden is featured which would make it earlier than the others we have shown, sometime in the 20's

Left - Several years ago a large blue cockerel was displayed in Trafalgar Square and we featured at the time. Since then the piece has been shown around the globe.

Above left - Jimmy Greaves,

Center - Ossie Ardiles

Right - Former Director T. A Deacock drawn here by Jos Walker who did much of our programmes art work, this from 1930.

Left - This is from the Rover Comic February 1949

Below - The Lancashire Evening News and we have the paper before and the 1901 FA Cup campaign. This one shows the teams rushing towards the first round.

Footballers contracts oblige them to undertake various duties and here we see Winks and Wanyama pointing at Graffiti during the clubs last visit to Australia. While left another picture of the White Hart Lane this one appears to be dated 1920.

The latest set of milestones from our trip down The Lane which ran last season. The snapshots in time as we head into the Spring include the FA Cup and European action. There is England and other visitors. A host of legends including the biggest in the clubs history and maybe fittingly in this series some changes to the ground. We start this block of Milestones however from White Hart Lane with the FA Cup.

10th March 1962 - Aston Villa are beaten 2-0 in the 6th Round on Tottenham's way to winning the trophy.10th March 1991 – Another trophy winning season and this time its Notts County, 2-1.11th March 1978 – Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Charlton sees us collect our 500th home point in Division 2.11th March 1929 – England are at the Lane against the Rest in a trial game and win 2-1.

11th March 2000 - Our first hat trick this century comes from Stefan Iversen (top) as we beat Southampton 7-2.11th March 1967 – Another trophy winning season as we beat Bristol City 2-2, Greaves scores both, one a penalty while City missed one (left).

12th March 2017 - The last ever FA Cup game at the old ground and Millwall are beaten 6-0 in the quarter finals.

Heung-Min Son scores the last goal, as well as last hat trick. (He also scores the last goal at WHL in Europe V Borussia Dortmund ).

14th March 2007 - Our 150th goal in European action at WHL is the first in the 3-2 win over Sporting Braga in the UEFA Cup round of 16 game.

14th March 1959 - The Cup and the semi final game sees Luton meet Norwich.15th March 1902 – The Ground sees the first (of 12) FA Cup semi-finals when Southampton beat Nottingham forest.

15th March 1961 - Bang in the middle of the Double season England Under 23’s play their only game at the ground. They beat West Germany 4-1 under the floodlights with a crowd of fifteen and a half thousand.

16th March 1968 – Another international this time, English Schools play Scottish Schools.

16th March 1937 – Bill Nicholson arrives at White Hart Lane on trial. 17th March 2016 – The last competitive European game at the old WHL is the 95th and sees our 246th goal in a 1-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the Europa League as we go out on aggregate.17th March 2012 – During the game with Bolton Fabrice Muamba collapsed with a heart attack and was rushed to hospital. The FAC 6th Round game was abandoned with the score 1-1 after 41 minutes. He has since studied for a BA in Sports Journalism and now works in the media.

18th March 1950 - WHL sees the FA Cup semi final between Arsenal and Chelsea which is a 2-2 draw, the replay three days later is also at the Lane.

Then in April 1952 the same teams met again in a semi final and again it goes to a replay again played at the Lane. Arsenal win on both occasions.

left - Bill Nicholson

20th March 1982 - Graham Roberts rejected by Southampton scores his only hat trick for Spurs against them in a 3-2 win.21st march 1959 – Dave Mackay plays his debut V Manchester City and we win 3-1.22nd Match 1934 – One of the stranger matches (and an annual fixture) to be played at the Lane was between two London markets Spitalfields V Covent Garden.

22nd March 2001 - England Under 18’s make their fifth (and latest) visit to WHL and lose to Poland by the only goal after winning their four previous games on the ground as they are eliminated from the UEFA Championship.

23th Match 1934 – The Weekly Herald announces that the club has mounted a clock on the wall of the Red House this electric clock which has a cockerel motif and is illuminated is to help fans approaching the ground.

Left - The clock now on dispay in Lilywhite House.

26th March 1910 - Newcastle v Swindon and another FAC Semi - final.27th March 2006 - Spurs beat WBA 2-1. Keane (right) scores twice. The first is his 50th for Spurs in the PL the second is his 100th PL career goal.28th March 1901 - The FA Cup replay with Reading sees us overcome fellow Southern League club 3-0 in the season of our first FA Cup triumph.

With the World Cup just 101 days away and with you probably having something else to occupy your thoughts tomorrow!I thought why not take a look back at some of the art work surrounding the greatest show on earth (or is that the biggest circus in town.)Which will serve as a way of introducing this years competition.

Some of you with long memories might have noticed I described the competition in the same manner four years ago (good grief). And that was before the FIFA financial woes.

Back then I wrote a series called 'Flying Down to Rio.' The title was largely chosen so I could do my Fred Astaire impression, with hints of Duran Duran. Younger readers can ask your grandparents.

Right - Czech stamp for 1958.Below - In 2010 ESPN produced their own set of posters.

Details of that series can be found below. You can browse if and when you wish and some of the better bits will be featured in the daily archive selection as we get nearer. Little did I know it would turn into a logistical / technology nightmare to publish.

However it did look back at (mostly) the Spurs connections to the tournament. Such as which player was at the first finals and later played for THFC. There were scandals, oh and the outlaw Butch Cassidy (honest).

FIFA - Poster 1978

FIFA poster - 1938

Host City poster 2018

So whatever your views on the competition it has now grown to 32 teams and in 2026 it will be 48! Considering FIFA currently has 211 members that's approaching a quarter of the membership.

On the other hand we can predict that this summer will see the largest number of Tottenham Connections so far.

Vintage stye poster - 2014

We will look at them and there are several stories to explore which couldn't be fitted in before but that's for later when we have recovered from this season! So if your flying BACK from Rio or wondering who will be retreating from Moscow, enjoy.

The Flying Down to Rio series (along with Tottenham's international connections, as well as the European Championships and the The Olympics can be found @http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index

Another quick look around the media and its reporting of all things Tottenham for this mornings coffee break. From the Clubs earliest days to those of recent memory.Of course as well as exciting news there is bound to be some shenanigans (and a financial wizard dog) to watch out for.

The Portsmouth press (May 1957) and the local coroner returned a suicide verdict on a local man found in the harbour. It seemed he went to his office and from there said he was going to watch the Portsmouth / Spurs game. He was not seen again.

His widow received a letter the following Tuesday (south coast postmark) saying 'by the time you receive this I will be no more.'Its unlikely he traveled to WHL to watch the game which Spurs won 2-0.

A good time to be a Spurs follower. The Evening Star in August 1909 not only have we signed a new player but progress on the new stand is going well.

The Barking Advertiser reporting the Romford game (sept 1893) tells us that Spurs were two goals up at half time but the home team equalised. The Romford claimed the referee 'called time ten minutes too soon thus prematurely stemming the "tide of fortune" which had turned in their favour.

I included this one from October 1900 as it refers to our ground as Gilpin Park, one of the many names banded about at the time. Below the Redknapp tax trial and Buster is getting a bad press.

While the following spring and the Hackney Gazette tells us 'all roads led to the Hotspurs ground on Saturday. The trains from Liverpool street were simply packed and the Spurs enclosed was taxed to the uttermost.'

reporting the English Cup game with holders Bury.

'the Southern League side rose to the occasion and delighted their supporters with a clever victory.'

More Cup action and the game with non league West Stanley in Feb 1920. It seems their goalie wanted a clean sheet, Spurs won 4-0.

Before the game The Globe newspaper asked Arthur Turner, Tottenham Club Sectary for his views on the game. They quoted him as 'We hope to win but it wont be a cake walk. The Durham club use a bunch of sturdy colliers and if there is a chance of busting the Spurs out of victory it will be done.'

The Stanley manager told the paper his players were 'in the pink of condition and they think they can get at least a draw if not a win.'

The reports from the meeting of the FA Council in August 1900 tell us that before the meeting it considered charges as to the unlawful approaching of players in which Tottenham Hotspur and New Brompton were concerned. No definite information was forthcoming.

The rock at the heart of Tottenham's defence when they won the FA Cup in 1901.

The most famous story about Sandy Tait is (the minor points differ in different sources) when he was in the army, on parade the inspecting officer, stopped, looked very closely into Sandy’s face and then turned to the junior officer with him and said ‘Good grief, for a moment I thought that was the great Sandy Tait.’

Alexander Gilchrist Tait, one of 13 children was born in the same Scottish village as his team mate from the 1901 Cup winning side, Sandy Brown, in 1873. Working down the mines before he started his footballing career he would play for several clubs including Rangers and Motherwell before heading south to Preston. He moved to Spurs for the start of the 1899-00 season which saw Spurs win the Southern League.

Sandy made his debut at Millwall on the opening day remaining an ever present in the title winning side as well as playing in other competitions. The following season he played in every round as Spurs recorded their first FA Cup trophy winning season. In the third round at Reading he appeared to punch the ball away off the goal line, preventing a winner, something seen by everyone in the ground except the referee. In 1902 he played in the side that won the Dewar Shield (Charity Shield forerunner).

Sandy earned the nickname ‘Terrible Tait’ due to his fierce tackling, always hard but fair. Off the pitch he was described as a gentle quiet man and was often called the best left back in the country.

The Daily Mirror described him as a model professional.

He played in an international trial game for Scotland but never won a full cap. It is widely believed that he suffered from being ‘an Anglo.’ At that time the Scottish selectors would rarely pick players who earned their living south of the boarder.

He became club captain and applied for the manager’s post when John Cameron left the club. He later coached players, turned out as linesman for some of our friendly games and wrote for the press.

Pictured at his daughters wedding ?1920.

In 1908 he moved to become player manger at Leyton Orient just as Spurs entered the Football League.

He played over 400 games for Spurs the majority competitive games and struck 12 goals.

He managed a second half hat trick in the 9-6 game V the German Association in 1901. During World War One he served in France not far from his son and another story is that one Christmas the son walked twenty miles to see his father. Sandy passed away in 1949.

The Art of Tottenham revealed where we uncover how the artists have portrayed Spurs over the years. This series seems very popular and thanks again to those of you who took time to send notes and images. Like this chap. I was asked why I hadn't used him? Simple he is new to me but certainly is very welcome.If you have any info on artists or where they first appeared always good to hear from you.

Robbie Keane is next up.

Great words of wisdom, Danny Blanchflower once said to a 17 yr old having just made his debut against him. 'Well done son, you could have a big future in the game.'

The boy was Jimmy Greaves.

One of my all-time faves. The Football Evening News from September 1901 and Miss Evening News is feeding her Cockspur some sugar saying 'Well done Tottenham Cockspur. Keep up present form and the Cup will not leave London yet awhile. Don't forget that you are "the Pride of The South"'

Spurs were of course Cup holders and 'the Pride of te South had bestowed on them by the press nearly eighteen earlier upon winning the Southern League.

Above Arthur Rowe and skipper Ron Burgess with the Division One Champions from 1951.Left - Gary Mabbutt by Paul Vater.

Below Left - The Liverpool Echo previews Tottenham's trip to Everton in the Cup. as The Dame claims the Hotspur will be stone cold. I'd expect this is 1904 in which case non-league Spurs knocked out Everton.

The first game Martin Chivers played at Wembley stadium was the 1971 League Cup final. He would score both goals as Spurs would win the trophy for the first time. He described scoring those two goals as a schoolboy’s dream. The first came after a Jimmy Neighbour shot was pushed into his path by the goalie and he slid it home.

His second came from a Mullery pass and he shot home from the edge of the box, the highlight of a forgettable match.Before that in the semis Bristol City run us close over the two legs. City had taken the lead and Gilzean pulled us level. The second game at White Hart Lane went to extra time and he scored our first with a header from a Knowles free kick in the 97th minute. Jimmy Pearce who had come on for center half Mike England got the second to ensure our final appearance from long distance. The game was two days before Christmas and was an early present.

He would also be in the side that won the trophy two years later (as Spurs became the first team to win the trophy twice) and that game saw the only goal come from substitute Ralph Coates. Chivers who use to room with Coates joked that every time Ralph told the tale in later years he seemed to be getting further out from the goal with each telling.

The semi’s that year were played both sides of Christmas. The first leg away to Wolverhampton and Martin Peters struck very early Pearce playing him in. About the quarter of an hour mark and we went two up when John Pratt hit his effort from distance. Gilzean would strike the bar before they pulled one back on half time with a penalty. The second half was scoreless as the fog rolled in; the other semi that night was abandoned.

The seconds game and Wolves leveled the scores just after half an hour. Peters put us back in front from a Evans cross but with twenty minutes to go Wolves leveled again and took the match to extra time. Spurs had the better of the play and just before the turn round Chivers shot us back into the lead and into the final.

Martin remains the clubs top scorer in the competition and that includes our first hat trick in the competition in the second round game at Aston Villa in September 1968. The game was only our second in the competition. Cliff Jones had scored our first ever goal in the cup before Chivers struck as we won 4-1.

He would go on to record 23 goals in total. Defoe is our second highest scorer back on 14. Although his fourth goal wouldn’t come for two years. He did however score seven that season, apart from the two in the final there was a second hat trick at home to Coventry.Tottenham had recorded 12 hat tricks in the competition and John Duncan is the only other man to score two, although Gascoigne managed a four.

This article recalls the first encounters between the two countries which all have Spurs connections and a few brief links, late night partying and a German flying ace.

The first international game played at White Hart Lane occurred when the FA invited a team from Germany to visit England for two games in the autumn of 1901.

It was on 21st September and England ran out 12-0 victors (5-0 at half time) in front of a crowd of just 5,252, the game being played in very bad weather and the Spurs were playing at Reading. The Times commented that the visitors were given a hearty welcome and noted ‘that in this day of leagues it was a luxury to see a game played in such a splendid spirit of sportsmanship.' A number of pictures and the story of this game were given previously (1).Top - The Germans take the field.

This was an unofficial game as the English amateur team would not be formed for another five years. The two sides met again four days later in Manchester. England made eleven changes and won 10-0.They were however the second German side to visit WHL. Spurs had played a German Association XI the previous January, see part 4.

This tour was a return encounter as two years previously in the autumn of 1899 and the FA had sent a party to play four games in Germany which at that time had no governing body for the game.

Left - The FA XI on tour 1899.

The team was made up of professionals and amateurs. Captain on this tour was Stanley Briggs. Who at that time was with Clapton Orient but had been a main stay of the Spurs side (2). Also in the party was Wilfred Waller.

The first two games were in Berlin and England won the first game 13-2 they then played again the next morning and won 10-2. This game kicked off at 10am so that the touring party could catch the 1pm train to Austria. Rumour has it half the English players were invited to a drinking party after the first game and managed only a couple of hours sleep. The game in Austria was won 8-0 before returning to Germany (Karlsruhle) to win again 7-0. The start of this game was delayed when it was discovered there wasn’t a ball and a cyclist was sent to fetch one. England would not play a full international outside the British Isles until June 1908. As these were unofficial internationals no caps were presented but each player was given a commemorative badge.

Right - A 1899 German poster about the first two games played in Berlin.

To side step for a moment, Wilfred (Wilf) Waller, who also played in the game at WHL mentioned above was an amateur and born in South Africa. He played for us in 1899 before going on the tour and when he returned joined Bolton and became the first South African to play in the Football League.

The flyer - In July 1914 Spurs signed the German, Fred Streckfuss who was an aviator and then working at the German embassy in London. We have no record of him playing for Spurs and he appears to have returned to Germany by the end of the year.

The two countries met again at White Hart Lane at amateur level in November 1955 (pic left) with England losing to West Germany 2-3, having been two up.

The sides of course met in 1935 in the full international described in ‘The German Game’ (3) of which the Observer noted ‘no recent sporting event has been treated with such high seriousness in Germany”

In part 7 – some more meetings including Tottenham’s only trip behind the Iron Curtain to East German.

The next chapter in our tribute to White Hart Lane and this time around there is the European game that didn't happen, several record crowds. An own goal we didn't want to see and goals galore with various hat tricks. A massive milestone from the non-league days as well as brothers and clowns.

March 21st February 1953- Len Duquemin scores a hat trick V Preston but we draw 4-4, in Division One.22nd Feb. 1937-The Everton game we have mentioned before where we scored three in six minutes to win 4-3, (1).22nd February 2007 – Our game with Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 is cancelled when they are thrown out of the competition for Crowd trouble and we receive a bye into the next round. UEFA award both games to Spurs 3-0, which has caused endless confusion over the years with various databases.23rd February 1901 – One of the biggest Cup upsets is recorded when Spurs become the first non league side to knock the reigning FA Cup holders out of the competition with a 2-1 win at home to Bury . The game is watched by the first 20 thousand plus crowd as Sandy Brown scores twice.

25th Feb. 1950- The best ever crowd for a Spurs Division 2 game is V Southampton, 70,302.

25th Feb. 2016 -Our 250th home goal in European action arrives in the game V Fiorentina in the Europa League round of 32 game, we win 3-0.

27th Feb. 1980 - Glenn Hoddle (above in 1984) only scored one hat trick for Spurs and it came in a 4-3 win over Coventry. Two of them are penalties.

29th - For events on this day refer to -http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-leap-day

Sandy Brown in 1901

1st March 1902 – WHL sees Tottenham defeat the Corinthians 5-3 in the Dewar Shield, which was the forerunner of the Charity Shield.1st March 1992 – The League Cup Semi Final, second Leg match with Nottingham Forest is delayed as the stadium is cleared following a bomb scare.

3rd March 1990 and in our game with Crystal Palace Andy Polston comes off the bench to join his brother John its the first time brothers have appeared in the first team together since 1910.

5th March 1938 – The largest recorded crowd at the ground, 75,038, are at WHL to see Second Division Tottenham lose by the only goal to Sunderland (Cup holders) in the Cup quarter final. Fans queue for at least ten hours to see the game and the actual figure is believed to be higher than the official total. Spurs are denied the opening goal when Colin Lyman’s shot beats the goalie. The ref gives the goal but the linesman signals that Jack Gibbons following the ball in handled the ball over the line.

5th March 1914 – Another of the Music Hall matches, (2).

5th March 1960 and when Cliff Jones scores a hat trick at home to Sheffield Wednesday in Division One game it becomes our 100th in competitive action, as we win 4-1.

5th March 2017- we beat Everton 3-2 at the Lane and set a new record for the PL era of nine consecutive victories at home.

6th March 1920 – The first 50,000 crowd at WHL (52,179) is V Villa in the FA Cup.cup. The game sees Tommy Clay credited with our first own goal the first in the FA Cup.

6th March 1985 – The 0-1 defeat at home to Real Madrid in the 4th Round of the UEFA Cup is our first in European action at home and the first time we fail to score at WHL.

Right - Dunmore here V Arsenal

7th March 1959. Terry Medwin scored two hat tricks for Spurs. They both came in this season, and on this day he managed 4 as we beat Leicester 6-0.

8th March 1961 - The Double looms as we beat Sunderland in the 6th round replay 5-0.9th March 1922 - Thousands are locked out as we beat Cardiff in the FA Cup quarter final replay 2-1. Below some of the 53,626 cram into the Park Lane and sit on teh hoardings.

The Lane - Milestones series ran successfully on social media last season and is repeated in omnibus format here. When it started it was envisaged it would grow to the size it aspired to or attract as much attention as it did. March continues shortly.Previous chapters can be found @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-inside-lane

A quick read-bite looking at some of the hat tricks Spurs have scored over the years in competitive matches.

Currently Harry Kane sits joint 4th in our all time hat trick chart.The leader is unsurprisingly Jimmy Greaves, with 15, George Hunt and Bobby Smith both have 12 while Harry has 10, along with Cliff Jones and Johnny Morrison.

I've double checked these figures and as usual different databases give varying conclusions, see note. Gareth Bale, Jimmy Cantrell and Frank Osbourne all scored hat tricks in games Spurs lost and all were away from home. While Dave Mackay, Len Duquemin and George Hunt all scored one in the games we drew, and all were all home.

Our 207 hat tricks have come against 80 different teams. With Leicester leading the way with 10, Southampton have 9 and Wolves 8.

Greaves

The old division one saw us hit 91 and division 2, 39. The next favourite competition is the FA CUP with 27. The PL currently has 22.

The first four hat tricks all came in the FA Cup. The first from Clements in 1896 as we beat Old St Stephens 4-0. Sandy Brown scored our first away from home in the 1901 Cup run at Preston and then became the first man to score two hat tricks when he achieved our first four goal haul in the semi final V Aston Villa.

Cliff Jones scored the first European trio in the game V Gornik 1961. Cliff is also the highest placed man on the chart without a four goal match. Four men have netted five goal games, Ted Harper, Jermain Defoe, Alf Stokes and Les Allen.When Les scored his five (and his only hat trick) it in came in the record score 13-2 over Crewe in 1960. That match also saw Jones and Smith hit three, the only time three men have done it in a game.

Our first away European hat trick was Gilzean's in Keflavik which was also the first ever scored in the UEFA Cup competition. Terry Dyson again 1960 scored the only one we had recoded V Arsenal.

Dyson

The first league hat trick came from Billy Minter in March 1910 at home to Blackburn.

Our last four hat tricks have come from Kane and all away. The last home one was Son V Millwall last year.

Kane and Chivers have both scored two in European.

Way back we before league action our first known hat trick was Jack Jull in 1884 and he also got our first five goal game in 1889. Randall having picked up the first four goal trick in 1885.

Note - Morrison's includes one scored at the start of the 39/40 season but the League was cancelled after three games and most sources have deleted this game from the records.We also had a number of hat tricks expunged from the records in our Southern League days.I have not included those scored during the war years as these are not normally classed as ‘first class fixtures’ My notes cross checked and thanks to Phil Sour, Bob Goodwin, THFC and My Football Facts.

After the recent articles I was asked if I had anymore on programmes. A rummage through the archive and I came up with this set of images which I hope your enjoy and will help pass the time as we await another all-nighter game.

The one think they all have in common is that they are quite rare and therefore should be new to you.

The top game is from our tour of North America. We beat United 5-0 that night and 7-1 in another game the following day.

Right - And we find ourselves in Scotland for a 5.30pm kick off. This match saw us beat Hibs by the only goal.

Below Left - The last game of a round the globe tour in 76 and Western Australia are beaten 4-0. Chivers got a hat trick.

Above Center- A game we have mentioned before when we met FC Austria in Brussels for the unofficial championship of Europe. An excellent match ended 2-2.Right - March 1958 and we face a Rotterdam Select XI and win 4-1.

A little closer to home and in October 1952 we traveled down to Gloucester where the home side won 1-2.

Part of the transfer of Alan Gilzean to Spurs included us taking a team to play them in a friendly. We won 3-2 but Gilly missed the game with an injury.

These games cover all sorts of events above right the Fred Sargent Memorial game. Fred played for both clubs We beat Chelmsford 5-1 on the night.

Right - This fundraiser for the local hospital attracted nearly fourteen thousand and they saw a 2-2 draw.

Left - A short trip to Leytonstone for the official turning on of their floodlights in 1964. The programme describes their President as 'a live wire,' Spurs certainly 'lit up' the evening winning 5-0.

We finish back where we started 1952 and in Vancouver we played the All-Stars side of the British Columbia FA on 31st winning 9-2 and again on the 4th, 8-2. And we fitted in another match between.

Previous articles featuring programmes can be found @http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-lilywhite-files

Max Seeburg would become Tottenham’s first overseas player as well as the first European to play for a professional club in this country,

Max was the first German to play for Spurs but he was hardly an international transfer swoop. Having been born in Leipzeg in 1884 his family moved to London when he was just two years old, where his father ran a fur shop close by Tower Bridge.

He played for local sides Park and Cheshunt before joining Chelsea where he did not play a competitive game. Moving to Spurs in May 1907 and he toured with the team that summer to Belgium. He scored a hat trick on the first game of the tour V Union Saint Gilloise.

Playing at either center or inside forward he managed seven goals in 24 games during 1907 / 08, our last season in the Southern League. The following season he played once in the Football League away to Hull. Thus he became not only Tottenham’s first overseas player but also the first European to play for a professional club in this country, (some ‘foreigners’ had played as amateurs). He made just one more appearance in the London Charity Cup, a win over QPR, before moving on to Leyton.

He would play for several other sides dropping back into the half back line and retired while at Reading. He became a Public House manager but later resigned for Reading. When World War One started he was interned as a German nation, despite leaving at such a young age. By the time he was released he was too old to take up the game again and became a carpenter. Max passed away in 1972.

Every Picture, where we attempt to find some images that haven't been splattered across the internet, some old some new, all worth another look. This time around we go from last week and travel back a hundred years. With on and off duty pictures and a few that might surprise you.We start with Mr. Gomes taking a breather.

Right - Hoddle against Burnley 1977.

Below - Toby Alderweireld on the recovery trail.

Right - 1960 Bobby Smith does his version of weight training with Harmer, Jones and Dyson.

Above Chelsea away Sept. 1913 and a 3-1 win, Grimsdell and Cantrell 2.Right - Gascoigne and Walsh celebrate, Stewart and Nayim watch on.Below - Another team shot, this from the early 50's.

Martin Chivers behind the bar and right a thoughtful Harry Kane.Below - Not known for his 'jet setting' Alf Ramsey makes a second appearance this time with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, April 72.

Above Ed Lightfoot. Joined Spurs in 1911, a halfback he played 69 games for Spurs (2 goals). He was killed in action in WW1 in 1918.

This time we turn our attention to our meetings with Bayer Leverkusen and 1FC Kaiserslautern in European competition. Starting with Leverkusen who we have met twice, our first clash being in the UEFA Cup 2006/7. At that time you only met other sides once during the group stage and our game fell away in the November, the third of our four games.

Once again Spurs found themselves playing in sub-zero temperatures in Germany and did not play at their best. Having won their first two games the Spurs win did secure our progress into the knock out stage of the competition and our hosts would fail to proceed. The only goal of the game came from Dimitar Berbatov who had received a warm welcome from the home fans having left them that summer after five and half years which brought nearly seventy goals. His strike coming just after the half hour, Lennon had had his shot saved and the loose ball was an easy finish for the Bulgarian who declined to celebrate against his old club.The German side forced some good saves from Paul Robinson and they hit the woodwork. Berbatov could have had another but chose to set up the better placed Lennon who just strayed offside.

Eric Dier - Leverkusen at home last season

The other meeting came ten years later, just last season when we met in the Champion’s League group. Match day three saw us go to their ground in October. Tottenham had started the group badly but had the better of the early exchanges in this game. Janssen hit the bar and had one chance disallowed.

After the break the Germans regrouped and posed more of a threat and Lloris was much busier as the game ended 0-0.

Lamela in the away game

The return in the next game saw Spurs lose at Wembley Stadium by the only goal in front of a then record crowd (85,512).

That defeat meant they overtook us in the group and would proceed whilst we would fail to qualify.

We have met 1FC Kaiserslautern once in competition during the 1999/00 season in the first contest since Germany reunified. It came in the second round of the UEFA Cup which saw us at home in the first leg. David Ginola was the man of the match as he passed or ran through their defence.

Carr's own goal.

It took a penalty when he was brought down and converted by Steffan Iverson just after the half hour. The second leg saw Ginola left out of the side by George Graham (he came on in the 81st minute) amongst other tactical changes as Spurs set out to hold what they had.

When Spurs handed their team sheet in early it gave the Germans time when they saw it to adjust their own side. Both sides had chances but Spurs were forced to defend having left their main strike threat on the bench. Walker was the busier keeper and saw his bar rattled. Just when it looked like Spurs had their draw and progress to the next round when the home side snatched the lead on the night. Extra time seemed certain but the last German attack just ninety seconds later saw confusion in the box and the ball went in off Steve Carr. Graham’s unwillingness to attack had failed and Spurs were out.